This document summarizes the evolution and characteristics of cat species. It discusses how cats evolved 30 million years ago and their ambush hunting style. It describes the differences between big cats like tigers, lions, leopards and snow leopards, and smaller wild cats. It also covers cat habitats, diets, development, physical attributes like whiskers and paws, and comparisons between cheetahs, leopards and jaguars. Finally, it lists threats to cat survival such as poaching, habitat loss and human-wildlife conflicts.

1. Cat family Introduction

2. Evolution of Cats
• Evolved from sub order Felidae around 30
million years ago
• They are ambush predators
• Hunt their prey by stealthily stalking them and
then attacking from a close distance
• Cats have retractable claws, Cushioned paws
and digitigrades style of walking (walking on
the toes)

3. Big cats
• Falls in subfamily “Pantherinae”
• Difference b/w big cats and small cats are their
size,prey base and home range
• There are 5 big cats in world ,4 are found in India
• Tiger –Panthera tigris
• Lion- Panthera leo
• Leopard- Panthera pardus
• Snow leopard- Panthera uncia

4. Asiatic lion

5. Tiger

6. leopard

7. Snow leopard

8. Small wild Cats
• Jungle Cat
• Asiatic golden cat
• Rusty spotted cat
• Caracal
• Eurasian Lynx
• Asiatic wild cat
• Mainland leopard cat
• Fishing cat
• Pallas’s cat

9. Jungle Cat

10. Asiatic golden cat

11. Rusty spotted cat

12. Caracal

13. Eurasian Lynx

14. Asiatic wild cat

15. Mainland leopard cat

16. Fishing cat

17. Pallas’s cat

19. Cat Habitat
• Tiger prefers to dwell in dense forest in
tropical and subtropical regions-Safety,Cover
and Camouflage to stalk its prey
• The lions prefer open habitats of arid and
semi arid open forest and grasslands-Hunt less
secretively than tigers, live in pride and spend
most of the time exposed to sun

20. • Leopard can survive- rocky scrub and tree less
terrain as well as evergreen forests, adapted
to living proximity to Human habitations,
easily available prey deer to fish
• Snow leopard – grayish white fur of the snow
leopard imprinted with large and light rosette
patterns helps camouflage the animal in rocky
mountains. Prey – Mostly Mountain goat

21. Dietary Preference
• Depends on their own size, strength and kind of
habitat they live in.
• Largest of cats Tigers and lions hunt large
herbivores –wild bovids ,antelope, large deer,
calves of rhino or elephant
• Leopards go for medium sized herbivores-small
deer species,antelopes,wild sheep,goat or the
wild boar
• Small cats feed on small mammals –Mice, hare,
rats and birds.

22. Learning to survive
• Cubs – 6 months old are completely weaned and
can roam around freely
• Cubs – 10 months old can start hunting along
with their mother
• Cubs - 2 yrs old become independent enough to
go their own way
• When male cubs reach maturity, each male
moves away to form its own pride while female
remains in the same pride alongside their
mothers.

23. • Cats are skillful hunters with excellent
eyesight, hearing ability and a strong sense of
smell.
• About 10-15 days prior to delivery ,cat mother
starts searching appropriate place to make a
den.
• The cubs are born blind and open their eyes
between 3rd to 14th day after birth.
• Lions are the only cats known to live in pride.

24. Cat whiskers

25. Cat whiskers
• Whiskers are coarser and thicker than regular
hairs.
• Jam packed with blood vessels and nerves
,making them more sensitive than regular
hair.
• As sensitive as human fingertips
• Whiskers work as vibration sensors that
measure distances and helps in chasing prey

26. What makes the cat a cat
• Cat’s paws are very different from human
nails.
• They are sharp, pointed and curved at the
tips.
• Tool to catch and hold prey and tear meat
from bones

27. Cat’s paw

28. Setting boundaries

29. A Cheetah vrs A leopard vrs A Jaguar
• By the pattern of the skin : Cheetah – evenly spread
simple spot, leopard –solid spots and rosettes, Jaguar-
spots bigger rosettes with distinct internal spots
• By their size and shape: Jaguar are heavier than
leopard with bigger head, Leopard much more
muscular than cheetah
• By their hunting preference:Cheetah fastest running
land animal with long hind legs,stride up to 22
ft.Jaguar strongest bite of all felids and bites directly
through the skull of prey.Leopard drag their meals into
tress.

30. A Cheetah vrs A leopard vrs A Jaguar

31. Threats to the survival of cats
• Tigers –Poached for skin,claws,bones,chinese
medicines
• Leopard- human wildlife conflicts
• Lion-found wild only in Gir, Habitat loss and prey
• Snow leopard-climate change leading to habitat
loss, decline in prey base
• Smaller cats-Habitat destruction and
fragmentation ,Fishing cat threatened species
with wetland vanishing